The final report of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, issued in 2004,
calls for universal mental health screening of universal mental health screening of
American children, and the Center for Mental Health Services and Congress are poised to
move forward to implement a screening initiative.

Critics insist that unless this screening initiative is stopped, thousands, if not
millions of children will be "diagnosed" with dubious, stigmatizing mental
illnesses that will follow them for the rest of their lives; schools will be transformed
into mental health laboratories and drug dispensing clinics. (Most psychiatric drugs have
not been approved for use in children.) Some regard this initiative as a massive diversion
of tax dollars to the pharmaceutical industry, which stands to gain the most from mental
health screening because it will expand the pool of mental patients.

A report in Psychiatric Times confirms an aggressive New Freedom Commission screening
plan which: "even in the absence of an action plan, the Bush administration "has
proposed an increase in the budget of CMHS [Center for Mental Health Services] from $862
million in the current fiscal 2004 to $912 million in fiscal 2005." Michael Hogan,
chairman of the Commission and director of Ohio Mental Health Department, is promoting
screening and increased use of psychiatric drugs. He has complained that recent reports of
the drugs hazards "are helping to fuel fears about widespread screening of
kids."

Suicide prevention is the primary justification for screening. But an authoritative
evaluation of the evidence by the US Preventive Services Task Force (PSTF) concluded that
screening for suicide is without merit  as there is no evidence to support that it
reduces the suicide risk. In addition, the PSTF warned of the potential for harm from
screening.

The major beneficiary of government initiated screening for mental illness is the
pharmaceutical industry, politicians whose campaigns the industry finances, and the mental
health provider industry  including psychiatrists, psychologists, medical
institutions, social workers, and their advocacy groups  all of whom have a
vested interest in expanding their income-producing client base.